Hot Line No 3: Fill & Download for Free

In late 2019, the new Greek government decided to crack down on smoking in enclosed public spaces. A law against that practice already existed, but was seldom enforced, so they decided to tighten things up.As part of the anti-smoking campaign, a new hot line was opened for citizens who wished to report on bars, cafes, restaurants and other public spaces that broke the law. The phone number is 1142.Now, as a lot of people probably know, Greece has its own numeral system, which has been largely replaced by the Hindu-Arabic one. The 24 letters of the Greek alphabet plus 3 more symbols represent the numbers in the following way.Based on that, one can take any Greek word, replace the letters with the respective numbers and then add them — the sum represents the entire word. That lies at the heart of numerology and has been given even prophetic dimensions by mystics.So, what’s the coincidence?If you take the pejorative Greek word ρουφιανιά “snitchery, being an informant” and follow this process, the sum of the value of its letters will be 1142, exactly the same as that hot line.Just check for yourself.100 + 70 + 400 + 500 + 10 + 1 + 50 + 10 + 1 = 1142.On the one hand, it’s possible that someone in the ministry thought about that when setting up the hot line and pulled an inside joke. However, it’s too elaborate and was only discovered accidentally a few weeks later.On the other hand, how likely is it for something like that to happen completely coincidentally? Yes, there is more than one word for snitchery, but certainly not dozens, and among single words (not phrases) only a few share the same sum.

I want to be very clear: the question asks about the shooting itself.So, I am not going to add any surrounding commentary about what led up to it (long before it) and the legality or wisdom of Kyle Rittenhouse having a rifle. You can go read about why Rittenhouse was there (someone had just interviewed Rittenhouse earlier that day). Jon Davis's answer aligns with my general hot-take on the wisdom of this clusterfuckery. What follows is about the shoot event itself.But I also caution you:Just as the Death of George Floyd (May 2020) originally looked like clear-cut murder, new evidence may come along that completely changes reasonable interpretationsYou should not mistakenly conclude that I am saying the deaths or injuries here are good or desirable. I comment only on whether each shooting is in self-defense.Finally, I’m going to end on the big take-away from this whole thing:tl;dr? I’ll summarize it up-front:Each shooting looks like Self-Defense.“Protesters” who go out at night, armed with weapons, to engage in general mischief which also includes attacking people are placing themselves in mortal danger.Casualty No. 1.For reasons unknown, a group of rioters are taunting and threatening Rittenhouse. Some of them approach him in a menacing manner. Rittenhouse backs up and he flees. The exact circumstances are not clear at this time.Rittenhouse decides he should retreat from these people.Casualty No. 1 pursues Rittenhouse.Gunshots have been fired by unknown persons.Casualty No. 1 attacks Rittenhouse with what appears to be a deadly weapon. (Remember: nearly every weapon used against a person can qualify as a “deadly weapon”.)Being attacked with deadly force authorizes deadly force in self defense.Casualty No. 1 advances towards Rittenhouse.Casualty No. 1 tries to grab Rittenhouse’s weapon.Casualty No. 1 grabs the barrel of Rittenouse’s weapon.Rittenhouse fires, striking Casualty No. 1 in the head.Rittenhouse goes back to check on Casualty No. 1 and makes a phone call. Police arrive a short while later. Casualty No. 1 dies.Of all the shooting events, Casualty No. 1 is the most questionable, but given the facts, the shooting was self-defense.However, the remaining two casualties are slam-dunk cases of self-defense.Casualty No. 2A group begins to amass at Casualty No. 1 and police ban Rittenhouse from the scene. Rittenhouse flees on foot as people assault him. A small mob gives chase.As Rittenhouse is running away from this mob, some people attack him, punching him in the head at least twice and ultimately knocking him to the ground. (Several news sources have rather dishonestly reported this as “he tripped”.)Rittenhouse is kicked and beaten.Casualty No. 2 joins in and starts beating Rittenhouse with a skateboard while Rittenhouse is on the ground.A gunshot rings outs somewhere very close by, i.e. within 25–50 yards. Over the next 3 minutes, there are 15 additional gunshots from shooters and locations unknown.While Rittenhouse is knocked down and being beaten, he loses control of his rifle.(Casualty No. 3 has now drawn his pistol and it is plainly visible.)Being kicked beaten by an armed mob with bludgeons and firearms (plural) will authorize deadly force in self defense.Casualty No. 2 appears to grab for Rittenhouse’s rifle.Rittenhouse regains control of the firearm, fires off one shot, striking Casualty No. 2 center of mass. He stumbles a few yards and collapses, dead.Casualty No. 3.Casualty No. 3 continues to approach Rittenhouse (who is still on the ground) and lifts up his pistol.A participant of an attacking mob bringing a firearm to bear upon a person authorizes deadly force in self defense.Rittenhouse has his muzzle on Casualty No. 3. But he pauses (And this is really significant. The adrenaline dump he must be experiencing is likely something he’s never felt before. Still, he is able to make controlled and restrained. I have very serious doubts that, in similar circumstances, I would behave as professionally. From purely a matter of proper handling, it’s impressive).Then, Casualty No. 3 lunges at Rittenhouse. (Pro-tip: firearms don't work that way.)Rittenhouse fires one shot, striking Casualty No. 3 in the arm (which is the one holding the firearm). Casualty No. 3 is stunned for a few seconds, realizes that part of his arm is missing, and then retreats.The “protesters” finally get the message: if we keep attacking this kid, he’s going to shoot us.Some either put their hands up or back away from Rittenhouse. (Note the Black Bloc rioter in the lower right, with yet another visible weapon. He was making a beeline to Rittenhouse and within 3–4 yard, until Casualty No. 2 was hit, at which point he starts backing up.)Rittenhouse then gets up, secures his rifle, puts his hands up, and walks toward the police line at the end of the street. They wave him by.(Note: What was probably not clear to Rittenhouse at this time, is that “peaceful protesters” are actually shooting at him as he’s walking towards the police.)Each shooting event in isolation looks like a case where someone was threatening or attacking him, and he used the firearm in self defense—even after retreating.The first one is a little iffier, because–while many people thought it was a Molotov Cocktail, it in fact was not—they were empty bottles in a plastic bag. However, a person being attacked is not generally held to the standard of having perfect knowledge about the exact weapon he was being attacked with. Likewise, the same attacker had tried to seize Rittenhouse’s weapon, which is what happened immediately before the trigger pull.Here is the BIG lesson about the shootings: it has absolutely nothing to do with race, gender, ideology, age, or wealth, blah blah blah. And very little to do with whether Rittenhouse’s shootings are ultimately justified in legal proceedings.My final message only concerns your choices and behavior:Peaceful, legitimate protests are not an excuse to commit crime. Especially not violent crime against people.If you go out to “protest” at night to approach and attack people (or homes) with any kind weapon, you are risking your own life. You have become the oppressor. Someone may kill you.It is your own behavior that will—tragically—have invited this preventable consequence.Moms everywhere have long said to their children: “nothing good happens at night.”Listen to your mom. Please think twice before engaging in “peaceful protests” at night, with people dressed in all black, where anyone is possessing a weapon. Especially where any person are threatening, confronting, yelling, or harming other individuals.

It's hardly perfect but it works ok.An example:I recently had severe chest pains and difficulties breathing. I called the national health care hot line who told me I needed to get checked out and directed me to the closest urgent care.I went there, and they did tests and an EKG but weren't satisfied. So they wrote a referral and sent me in a taxi to the closest ER. The cab was paid for by the state since I obviously needed medical care they couldn't provide at the urgent care.The hospital did blood tests and a CT scan and started treating me within two hours of my arrival. I had massive bilateral pulmonary embolisms. I stayed 3 nights in the hospital, and have been on medical leave for two months now.The total cost for me:3 x $10 for the hospital stay.$80 for 6 months months of blood thinners.10% of my income for the two months I'm on sick leave. (You're only compensated with 90% of your salary as sick pay.)I'd say the Nordic systems with all their flaws work pretty darn well in general.